Significant Heart Wins PCQHRA Derby

Trainer Paul Jones takes top two spots in Los Alamitos stakes.

October 5, 2013

All season long trainer Paul Jones has raved about the terrific group of sophomore fillies in his barn. The PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby showed a few reasons why Jones is so high on these girls, as Significant Heart and Look Whos Running finished 1-2 in the Grade 3 $168,500 event on Friday at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for owner Abigail Kawananakoa, Significant Heart was always in control of the 400-yard race, as she sailed to a half-length wire-to-wire victory in a time of :20.048. The clocking was the result of an unusually strong head wind of 26 miles per hour. The wind didn’t seem to bother Significant Heart, who improved her career record to four wins in 10 starts. The winner of the Lanty’s Jet Handicap earlier this season, Significant Heart earned $70,770 for the effort.

“This is the strongest group of 3-year-old fillies that I’ve had in a really long time,” Jones said. “Significant Heart was just phenomenal. She’s been very strong the whole year. She’s one of the good fillies in the barn, but I do have others like Looks Whos Running and (Governor’s Cup Derby winner) Scoop of Sunshine, (La Primera Del Ano Derby winner) Revv Me Up, (2012 All American Futurity finalist) Native Tea Rose and (PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby finalist) Splendiferous Diva.”

Jones trained the 3-year-old filly Cash For Kas to win the Champion of Champions (G1) back in 2004 so the quality and quantity in this division could make for a special end of the year for the champion trainer.

“Hopefully we can get one or two of them in the Super Derby and if not then there’s always the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials,” he added. “I’m just happy for Abigail and this filly. She had some time off before she came to my barn this year and was still a maiden. We gave her a workout and she outran a horse by the name of Tres Queens, who was a winner and a really fast, and right there I knew that I had something. She broke her maiden and then in her next race she won a stakes race. I don’t know what happened in the trials, but they don’t always fire every time.”

Jones was also not concerned about Significant Heart’s final time in the Breeders’ Derby.

“Time means nothing,” he said. “The wind was strong, but the only time I worry about wind is on trial night. Every horse in the race had to run into the same wind and in the end we got the money.

“I really like Eduardo aboard fillies. He rides a super quick filly for me named Jewels First Cat. She is flying all the way to 350 yards, but then she tires after that. He had never ridden Significant Heart before tonight so I told him she was quicker than Jewels First Cat, but that she was also a stronger finisher. He came back extremely impressed with Significant Heart.”

Bred by La Feliz Montana LLC, Significant Heart is the daughter of Corona Cartel out of Jess Significant. She’s now earned $98,227.